Guest norb Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 I just watched a 1983 Burt Reynolds movie on the speed channel about racing and had forgotten that a lot of Buick Regals were racing in those days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Buick Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 You're right Norb,........look at the attachment and see one of my favorites.Ricky Rudd's car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 53Nailhead Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 It was great back then...now all the cars are the same as well as the cookie cutter tracks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest norb Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 More Buicks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Buick Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Norb, Here is some more information about Buicks in NASCAR. I think you'll find it interesting. Let's try to get as many photos of racing Buicks we can find. In 1981 Buick won the NASCAR manufacturers Championship winning 25 of 30 races that year!! How many knew that?? NASCAR and BUICKS, it doesn't get much better! http://home.flash.net/~rjgeorge/nascar.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest norb Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Thanks for the great information.I remember several engineers spending time at various tracks working with the drivers to help them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Buick Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Buick didn't (and still doesn't) get much credit in the advancement in racing.Another photo for you.....1981 Kyle Pettys Regal! Enjoy!John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 53Nailhead Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Don't forget these guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 53Nailhead Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Another... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 53Nailhead Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Maybe just one more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 52buick72r Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 I have dozens of Buicks from the early 80's....my favorite period in NASCAR. I'll try popping a few on. this one is Bobby Allison early in 1981, before they picked up Hardee's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 52buick72r Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 How many of you remember Cecil Gordon (no relation to Jeff). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_Thriller Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Does anyone know which year's it was a Buick winning the Winston Cup? I have a poster board "35 Champions Can't Be Wrong". It was done up for Moog Chassis Parts / Federal Mogul. I'm just not that good at identifying Buicks without Ventiports, especially when decked out in racing colours.Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philippe Racicot Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 I remember this movie, I saw it long ago... I don't remember what Burt Reynolds was driving in it? A Ford?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 52buick72r Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 1980 was the last year for the older, larger styled bodies...in fact several teams ran 3-year old bodies to use up their inventory. 1981 was the first year for the downsized styles: Buick Regal, Chevy Monte Carlo, Pontiac Grand Prix & LeMans, Ford T-Bird, Mercury Cougar, etc.1981 Was also a breakout year for Buick. Darrell Waltrip won the Championship in 1981 and 1982 in the Junior Johnson-owned Mountain Dew Buick (attached). Bobby Allison haD finished 2nd to him in the DiGard owned Gatorade #88 Buick in 1982. For 1983, the Johnson/DW team switched to Chevy, as well as Allison. The only catch was, Johnson had the exclusive rights to the Chevy Monte Carlo nose (he was also the sole distributor). After several races in a Chevy, and needing a new nosepiece, DiGard, now fed up with the arrangement, switched back to Buick and won the NASCAR title over....Darrell Waltip. So, for 3 years in a row, Buick could lay clain to having their driver win the title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 52buick72r Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 He was driving the redesigned 1983 Thunderbird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Buick Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Maybe this will help................Although Buick had previously only won two NASCAR races (both in 1955), 1981 began a period of complete dominance. Twelve models were eligible for 1981, but aerodynamics and rules favored the Regal. Just about everyone was driving the newly designed Buick -Richard and Kyle Petty, Harry Gant, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Terry Labonte, Tim Richmond and many others. The following lists some of the major accomplishments of the 1981 Buick Regal. 1981 GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - Darrell Waltrip won the driver's championship with 12 of 32 wins is his #11 Mountain Dew Buick Regal (above). Bobby Allison took second in his #28 Hardee's Buick (below). 1981 MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP - Buick Regals won 22 of 32 races. 1981 DAYTONA 500 -Won by Richard Petty's #43 STP Buick. 15 of 42 cars were Buick Regals.Boddy Allison's 1981 #28 Hardee's Regal. (Picture contributed by Cory Walker.)The Regal contiued it's dominace through 1982. Even more drivers found their way into Buicks, including newcomers Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace. Kentucky Bussinessman J.D. Stacy sponsered 5 Buick Regals (and a Pontiac Lemans and a Thunderbird) in the Daytona 500. The Buick was even more succesful in 1982: 1982 GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - Again, Darrell Waltrip won the driver's championship with 12 wins is his #11 Mountain Dew Buick Regal (top). Bobby Allison again took second in his #88 Gatorade Buick. 1982 MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP - Buick Regals won 25 of 30 races. 1982 DAYTONA 500 -Won by Bobby Allison in the #88 Gatorade Buick and seven of the top eight finishers drove Regals. 25 of 42 cars were Buick Regals.Ron Bouchard's #47 J.D.Stacy Buick Regal, 6th place 1982 Daytona 500The racing giants of Chevrolet and Ford were completely embarrassed. For 1983, both countered with new designs. Chevy reshaped the Monte Carlo's nose (SS) and Ford completely changed the Thunderbird. New "Aero" wars similar to those of the early seventies had begun. The Regals had literally "reshaped" racing world. Chevrolet won the Manufacturer's Champion, but... 1983 GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - This time Bobby Allison beat Waltrip and won the driver's championship by 47 points in is his #22 Miller Light Buick Regal. (Waltrip had switched to the Monte SS.)In 1984 Buick recorded two wins, both by Bobby Allison. There were no wins in 1985. By 1986, the Regal was out and Buick drivers were switching to the new FWD LeSabre body. (Buick released a limited production LeSabre Grand National in 1986).Sources:"Buick Regal Racing History 1981-1983", Monogram Models insert.1982 Daytona 500 Program"Daytona 500", Hot Rod magazine, May, 1982Grand National Illustrated, January 1983BEFORE BLACK Home Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxBuicks Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 I don't know much about NASCAR, althoough I did enjoy watching the races when I was younger. What engines were in those Regals from the 80's? Was it basically a high performance 3800? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_Thriller Posted December 7, 2005 Share Posted December 7, 2005 Here's a photo of the board: The fourth row has Waltrip's Mountain Dew car and Allison's #22 Miller car.Sorry if it is a bit big - I wanted to include the whole thing, but provide enough detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_MrEarl Posted December 7, 2005 Share Posted December 7, 2005 Anybody know anything about this '87 Buick Grand National. I collect Red Rock Cola and was amazed to find this. Does anyone remember Red Rock. Great ginger ale !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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